Remember Me
by silent H
Summary: Did no one really care about Soujiro in the past? Only a little tweaking done with the actual story in the show .. Rated to be safe. UPDATE: ten years later...
1. Kadori

Hullo everybody! I'm silent H and this is my Soujiro fic! I am a HUMUNGOUS Soujiro lover and I haven't really read that many Soujiro fics so I dunno if there are a lot of them or not a lot. But anyway, I've had this idea in my head for a while and I'm throwing caution to the winds and posting this. 

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I think that we all know that I don't own Soujiro or Shishio so please don't sue me! I'm only fourteen! I cant even drive yet! =I

Part I: The Past Chapter 1: Kadori 

_I wanted to be like you   
I wanted everything   
So I tried to be like you   
And I got swept away ___

_I didn't know that it was so cold and  
You needed someone to show you the way   
So I took your hand and we figured out   
That when the tide comes I'd take you away ___

_If you want to   
I can save you   
I can take you away from here   
So lonely inside   
So busy out there   
And all you wanted was somebody who cares ___

_I'm sinking slowly   
So hurry hold me   
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on   
Please can you tell me   
So I can finally see   
Where you go when you're gone ___

_If you want to   
I can save you   
I can take you away from here   
So lonely inside   
So busy out there   
And all you wanted was somebody who cares ___

Please can you tell me   
So I can finally see   
Where you go when you're gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Don't you dare touch the house while we're gone. If I find anything out of place…" 

"And don't even think of leaving. Lock the door!"

"Don't worry big brother…Soujiro should know that if he leaves us there'll be no one to feed him out there. He'd stay even if the gates weren't locked."

"Make sure that all of the barrels of rice are in the shed before we get back. And if you break one you'll have to listen to me later."

Soujiro stood silent, listening with a smile on his face. 'If I just keep smiling…' he said to himself. He thought of Mr. Shishio back in the rice shed. It had only been last night that Soujiro saw him killing the policemen. 'He really is a bad man,' Soujiro thought, 'but he's a strong man!'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sun beat down on Soujiro's head. He staggered across the yard under the weight of the heavy barrel of rice. He wasn't completely sure how many he had carried to the shed. Soujiro lost count around fifty. Still, he plodded along while weariness got the better of him. Soujiro began to feel faint and he stumbled more. A few barrels later, Soujiro tripped and fell on the ground.

'I have to get up and finish carrying the rice,' he thought, 'if I don't finish…' There was no need to finish the thought. He knew what would happen. But Soujiro was just too exhausted and thirsty. He fell over again, and everything went black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A ball bounced over the wall and rolled to a halt in the middle of the back yard. Somewhere a young girl cried, "Oh no!"

A few moments later a scuffling noise came behind a wall nearby. The girl appeared on the top, and then she (quite ungracefully) fell over. She sat up and inspected herself. She was a bit dirtier, but she didn't care. She hated the pink kimono her parents made her wear.

As the girl moved forwards to reclaim her ball, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. All at once, she forgot her toy and rushed over to the boy who looked about her age.

For a while she stood and surveyed his patched and worn clothes, the bruises and dirt on his cheeks, and the smile playing on his lips. 'Oh my gosh,' she thought, 'is he dead? But I've never seen anyone smile when they were dead…' The girl thought she saw him move and knelt down beside him. She pulled back her light brown hair and closed her eyes as she listened to his chest for a heartbeat. Then she smiled. "Thank goodness he's okay!" she said aloud to no one in particular. Because her parents paid little attention to her, the girl had the habit of talking to herself.

She stood and looked at him again, and then ripped of the edge of one of her sleeves. "Silly pink," she said, "at least you'll do something useful." The girl walked over to the nearby well and huffed as she pulled up a bucket of water. Then she dragged it over to the boy's body and rested for a moment. She frowned at the rice barrel attached to his back, and then carefully slipped his arms out of the straps and laid him down correctly on the ground.

"This should wake you up!" she said, dipping the cloth in the bucket and dabbed water onto his bruises and tried to rub the dirt off. Her efforts only managed to make him flinch. "Ayah! Wake up!" she muttered, dumping more water on his face.

Soujiro sat up with a start, coughing and spluttering. "Whoops…" the girl said sheepishly. "Don't want to kill him." Then to Soujiro, "I'm so glad you're awake! It felt like you were dead just lying there. And that's awful." She smiled broadly at him.

Soujiro stared at her, stunned. He never got to see other children his age and waking up to find a strange girl smiling at him was definitely shocking. "Ah………who………who…how…who are you?" was all he managed to say. Soujiro was too busy gaping.

The girl only smiled more and held out a hand. "My name is Kadori. I live near this house, and I always wondered who lived in it because my parents don't let me out much and I didn't know they had a boy my age! And I was playing with my ball, it's over there, and then it bounced over the wall and I climbed the wall. It wasn't that hard, actually. There were some boxes outside but I did fall over but I'm okay now anyway. That's how I got inside." 

She continued, "Then I saw you there, and I thought is he dead? So I took a part of my silly kimono and got some water to wake you up, cos obviously you were too hot from the sun. And then you woke up."

Soujiro could only stare. He hadn't really gotten most of that; Kadori was talking very fast.

Kadori absently played with a frayed edge of the ripped part in her kimono. Then, startling Soujiro she said, "What's your name? You haven't told me yet."

"Eh? Oh, ah, it's S-soujiro." He was still staring wide eyed at her.

She smiled. "Soujiro." Kadori was silent for a while as she surveyed her surroundings. 

After a moment Soujiro regained his composure and studied Kadori. She obviously came from a well off family; her kimono was very fine. But his eyes widened again when he saw the ripped sleeve. 'Why would she rip her kimono?' He looked at the piece of cloth hanging from the bucket. 'Did she do it for me? Why would—'

"Soujiro, why were you carrying that big barrel? It must be heavy. Do your parents make you do chores? My parents don't let me do any, cos we have maids, but sometimes I get so bored that doing chores might be fun!" Kadori said, interrupting his thoughts.

Soujiro said, "Well…yeah…I guess they are my chores." For some reason, he didn't want to tell Kadori the truth.

"Why are your clothes so…well…"

"Oh…they're my…work clothes."

Kadori nodded silently. That made sense. It still didn't explain the bruises but if those were chores then she didn't want to keep him from them. Then she had an idea. "Hey Soujiro…can I help you with your chores?"

This caused him yet another shock. "You…want to help…me?" Soujiro's eyes widened.

Kadori laughed, "What if you fell down again? Anyway, my parents are at a silly party and they won't care if I'm not at home. They won't notice. And I'd rather do work with someone than play all by myself. Will your parents mind?"

Soujiro blinked. "Oh……well they're out doing things for their business."

"Then let's go."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As the sun slowly started to sink, the two young children helped each other carry the heavy barrels of rice to the shed. Shishio's eyes narrowed when he saw the young girl, and he stayed hidden.

Kadori thought of how hard work this was, and of how Soujiro must have to do it by himself. She noticed him smiling slightly, even through the fatigue Kadori suspected he felt. She would have told him to go and rest but she didn't think she could have managed the work by herself. 'Soujiro must be really strong…' Kadori said to herself, 'to smile when he works. He was even smiling when he was on the ground.'

For Soujiro, all he could think of was that this girl, whom he hardly knew, was helping _him_. "Why would she want to help me? Do people actually _help_ each other?" It was a baffling question.

Surprisingly enough, the job was done quickly and the two children sat in the shade of a nearby tree. Soujiro didn't need to do much talking; Kadori did enough for both of them. But he learned a lot about her.

Kadori was indeed rich, but as she said, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Kadori's parents were nice, but they never really paid attention to her. Only at dinner parties would they talk to her, and show her off to the neighbors. Kadori's parents thought that she would be happy with just toys and wouldn't need them around, so when she was much younger she had a nanny. Kadori learned how to take care of herself pretty quickly because her parents were always off somewhere buying things or working or at parties.

"I never got to play with other kids. The ones I did meet were rich too, but they weren't very nice. Of course, my parents didn't notice. Do you know a lot of kids, Soujiro?"

He wasn't sure how he'd answer. "Well…I do a lot of work. My family doesn't let me out often…so I guess I really don't know anyone else. But it's not so bad."

Kadori looked at Soujiro. "Wow…you do so much work Soujiro! Those barrels _are_ really heavy. You must be so strong to be able to do so much work all by yourself. I don't think I could manage it." She giggled to herself.

Soujiro's eyes were big. 'She thinks I'm strong?'

Suddenly Kadori clapped a hand to her mouth and cried out, "Oh dear…I should go home soon! My parents will be back! If I'm not there they'll get worried because I'm not allowed out when they leave because someone could kidnap me and demand lots of money. And they'd hate that."

Soujiro stood up. "You're leaving? But---"

Kadori frowned. "I'll come back! Usually I sneak out at night and go for walks. Of course there are lots of dangerous men out there but I can just hide, don't you know. My parents would probably die if they found out."

He sighed, relieved. "So you can come back?" For some reason, he really didn't want to see Kadori go. 

"Well," she said, "I could come tomorrow, late at night, if you're still awake. Since your family might be home during the day, at least at night they'll be sleeping so I won't disturb them. Maybe I can help you with your chores again. But don't worry, you're my only friend so it'd be pretty stupid of me to just leave you by yourself and never come back!"

"A………friend?" 

"Of course we're friends, Soujiro! Or at least, I'm the only other kid you know and you're the only other kid I know. So that counts too I guess. Anyway, bye!" Kadori waved and smiled at Soujiro as she walked over to her ball. She threw it over the wall and climbed some barrels stacked against it. He heard her fall over on the other side. 

And Soujiro felt himself smile…really smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kadori sneaked back into her house. She wasn't sure who would be in the house already, be it a nanny or her parents. 'Hopefully no one,' she thought.

Unfortunately, as she turned a corner in a hallway, Kadori came upon her parents. "Kadori! I am shocked at you. Look what you've done to your pretty pink kimono!"

Kadori sighed and tuned out her parents as they started to argue with each other. It was always the same.

"Dear, we can just buy her another one."

"Yes, but that one did cost a lot of money."

"Well what if we get her something else then?"

"Hmmm…that should make her happy."

Instead, she thought of Soujiro. He was really different from all of the other kids she'd met (and hated). Kadori thought of his smile, and how it really never seemed to leave his face. Soujiro must be happy all of the time. But… 'Why was he all bruised? I wonder if he falls down a lot. But Soujiro's strong enough to carry those barrels all by himself. I wonder why…'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro waited patiently while his 'family' checked the rice in the shed. He smiled to himself. 'They can't find anything wrong today. Kadori and I made sure that they were all put away right.' Soujiro thought. But he didn't notice his two brothers sneaking out a barrel and breaking it. 

So he was shocked when one brother called out, "Hey look! Looks like Soujiro forgot one! And it's broken, too."

Soujiro gasped and stared helplessly at the rice on the ground. "But…" he whispered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I see. Your family is pretty evil as well." Shishio said. He eyed Soujiro and then asked, "So are you going to tell me why you're still smiling even after they beat you?"

Soujiro, who had been sitting with his head in his hands, looked up. The customary smile was on his face. "Hmmm? Oh………heh…y-you're right, it is a little strange…but…when I first got here, I did cry when they hit me and I got angry when they yelled at me. But the more I reacted to them…they'd call me selfish or noisy, and it would just get worse. When I would just smile and put up with it they'd get sick of it and stop. Even if I felt bad…even if I hated it…if I just kept smiling…"

Soujiro continued, "I can't help it, I'm not really a part of this family because of my parents so it's all my fault."

"You're wrong." Shishio interrupted. 

Soujiro looked up in surprise.

"This doesn't have anything to do with how you were born. If anything's the cause of this, it's your weakness. In the end, only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live, if you're weak, you die. No matter how good you get at hiding behind a smile or burying your emotions, you can't escape from this one truth."

Soujiro was silent. 'If you're strong you live…if you're weak…you die?' Kadori's face appeared in his mind. _'You must be so strong to be able to do so much work all by yourself. I don't think I could manage it.'_

He thought, 'But Kadori thinks I'm strong…'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Notes:

I'm actually planning for this to be a bit long, so I split it into two parts. The past, and then what happens after Soujiro's battle with Kenshin.

As for ages, Soujiro and Kadori are basically the same age, with a few months or so in between. In the anime I don't believe they enclosed his age in the flashback, so I'm just gonna go with him being 9 (this might change later). Soujiro's current age when he's fighting with Kenshin is also disputed (some say 15, 18 or 22) so I'm going to go with 19. That gives him 10 years to study with Shishio and so he won't be so old when I have other parts of the story happen.

And if you have any questions or concerns, please leave a note in the review box! And if you don't, then please do it anyway! 

silent H


	2. The Truth

Hey, I'm back with the next chapter ^.^ and I'm still going to post this even if I get practically zil reviews but thanx to those who did!

Just a little explanation on the time issues—this is happening _as_ Soujiro found Shishio and I just extended Shishio's stay so Soujiro and Kadori could have time 2 get ta kno each other. So I am using dialogue from the episodes, only changing them around a bit. But I'm not really gonna affect the main plot (Soujiro _will_ go away with Shishio in the end and blah blah blah).

So anyway, on with the fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soujiro or Shishio! But I think we all know that. =(

Part I: The Past 

Chapter 2: The Truth

"Have you heard big bro?"

"You mean that story about some anti-Meiji rebel hiding in our neighborhood? Yeah, I heard."

Soujiro was doing the rice barrels again. As he walked across the yard, Soujiro thought of what Shishio had told him last night.

If you're strong you live…if you're weak you die 

He listened to them talking about how the policemen couldn't find the bodies. 'That's because I buried them deep in the woods.' Soujiro thought with a smile. 'But tonight…Kadori is going to come.'

Through the rest of the day Soujiro managed not to get beaten up. Except for when he was thinking of Kadori's visit and they threw a wine jug at him because he wasn't listening. But Soujiro still smiled at them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro sat huddled under a tattered spare blanket outside. 'Maybe she isn't coming after all…' he thought. Soujiro suddenly felt…sad.

A scuffling noise came from the wall. Soujiro sat up immediately. Kadori emerged from the top and whispered, "Look out!" as she jumped down. The jump proved a bit too much for her legs, and Kadori fell over on impact. Soujiro watched her as she dusted off her kimono (pink, again, in fact it was the same one as yesterday) and face. Then she ran over to him.

"You came." Soujiro said disbelievingly.

Kadori frowned at him. "Well of course I did. I said I was, didn't I?" Soujiro noticed her eyeing his blanket and surroundings.

Before she could say anything else Soujiro burst out, "Um…why are you wearing the same kimono?"

She looked surprised that Soujiro had been the one to start talking and replied, "Well my parents were angry with me ripping it and so they thought it would be punishment to make me wear it again. Something about 'losing my dignity because of a ripped sleeve'." Kadori giggled.

Soujiro only blankly looked at her. "Come on, Soujiro, laugh!" Kadori said. When he didn't she thought, 'Soujiro smiles, but he doesn't laugh. I don't get it…'

He stared at Kadori. She had a nice laugh. He never really heard anyone laugh before… at least for happy reasons. Soujiro briefly wondered what his laugh would sound like, and if Kadori would like it. Then the thought was gone.

Kadori said, "That reminds me…" she reached into her pocket and took out a bag of cookies. "I brought cookies. I baked them myself, but they should still be good. Do you want one?"

Soujiro looked at it, and then asked, "Cookies?"

Kadori took one look at his face and burst out laughing. Soujiro jumped at the sound, and cocked his head in confusion. 'Is she laughing at me?'

"I'm sorry……hehehe…Soujiro. It's just…haha…the look on you face……… hehe…it's like you never had…haha…a cookie." She said in between laughs.

Soujiro was about to open his mouth, and tell her he never did have one and what was so funny about that, when he heard someone yell, "Soujiro!"

Immediately he froze. Kadori was still giggling, and didn't notice the look on Soujiro's face. He grabbed her shoulders and said, "Kadori! Hide somewhere! Now!"

She looked at him, confused, and then heard a low growl that sounded like Soujiro's name. Kadori looked at the house, and then back at him. "Hide behind the tree!" Soujiro said. Kadori started as the door to the house slid open with a bang, looked at Soujiro, and then ran to behind the tree. 

'But why did Soujiro want me to hide?' she thought.

Soujiro stood, hoping that they wouldn't find Kadori. He didn't know what he'd do if they beat her too.

"Soujiro! You were making such a racket out here! Can't you tell we're trying to sleep?" His stepfather grabbed a shovel and hit Soujiro with it. He fell to the ground, bleeding. Pain blossomed on his forehead.

'Smile,' Soujiro thought. He received another blow, and couldn't help crying out in pain.

"This'll teach you not to wake me up again!" He raised the shovel high.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro lay on the ground, listening as he heard the door slide shut again. He sat up, panting. Soujiro could feel his heart beating in his ears. He flinched, and slowly touched his forehead. It was bleeding. Soujiro struggled to stand up, and then he heard someone whimpering. 'That's not me,' he thought. He carefully straightened up and looked for the noise.

Kadori came out from behind the tree, and she was crying. "Soujiro…" she whispered.

His eyes widened. Soujiro had forgotten about her during………well…that. And now Kadori had seen the whole thing…Soujiro grabbed her by the hand and took her into the rice shed. She was crying harder now, and he didn't want to be heard again.

The moment he closed the door, Kadori said, "Soujiro…"again, and ran forward. She hugged him and started crying on his shoulder. 

"Ah………"Soujiro said helplessly a few seconds later. Kadori was still hugging him and crying. His arms were pinned to his sides by Kadori's, but his hands stuck out awkwardly. "Uh…" 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shishio sat behind some barrels, watching them with narrow eyes. He had heard someone come in, crying, and he'd thought it was the kid, Soujiro. Boy was Shishio surprised when it turned out to be that girl again. But he really raised an eyebrow when the little girl hugged the kid.

Shishio thought he might almost laugh from the expression on the kid's face. It was helpless, shocked, embarrassed, and the blush on Soujiro's face told him that he was feeling very awkward, indeed.

He settled himself more comfortably and continued watching.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Um………Kadori…" Soujiro gulped. He twisted one of his hands around and tapped her on the shoulder. "Kadori…do you think you could um…let go? You're kind of hurting my back."

She immediately released him. Kadori sniffled. "I'm sorry Soujiro." Still crying a little, Kadori ripped off part of her other sleeve and started to wipe the blood off of Soujiro's face. He silently submitted, still feeling embarrassed from the hug.

Kadori said quietly, "Soujiro…why didn't you tell me that………that…"

"That my family beats me?"

Kadori (who had been inspecting Soujiro's arms) straightened. She looked right at him, slightly surprised at his frankness and relaxed tone. Her eyes widened when she saw that Soujiro was smiling. "But Soujiro…you're still smiling."

Soujiro sat down, leaning against a barrel. Kadori joined him, looking questioningly at him. He wasn't sure what to tell her. Soujiro thought of what he'd told Mr. Shishio the other night.

"Kadori…well…sometimes…if I did cry, or get mad, things would only get worse. If I keep smiling, they would just get sick of it and stop. No matter what…if I kept smiling…"

Soujiro lapsed into silence. Kadori, beside him, was quiet also. He sighed. Kadori probably wouldn't want to come back after tonight. Soujiro had been looking forward to it all day. He jumped as Kadori took the piece of kimono and tied it around his forehead.

She said softly, "I think that…it's wonderful."

Soujiro blinked.

"That…you can do so much work, and lift really heavy things…and you didn't know anyone, you had no friends until I came over the wall…even when they were mean to you…you could still smile. I could never do that. You're so strong. I think that it's…you're……… it's wonderful." Kadori looked up at Soujiro. He stared back.

"But… it might not be enough. Maybe smiling all the time doesn't make me strong enough."

Kadori frowned. "What do you mean?"

Soujiro said quietly, "In the end…only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live. If you're weak………"

Kadori whispered hesitantly, "If you're weak…?"

"………you die………"

She stared at Soujiro for a bit longer and then looked at the floor. Kadori wondered why Soujiro would think that. 'Maybe…maybe…Soujiro really isn't happy all of the time. Oh, but I hope he's not unhappy when I'm with him. That would be awful,' she thought.

Shishio, from behind the barrels, was a little surprised. The kid had really taken his words to heart.

Soujiro wondered what Kadori was thinking. She was always surprising or startling him, but for some reason Soujiro felt quite relaxed in her presence. Only now she looked a little bit sadder and more serious.

After a while, Kadori asked timidly, "Do you want a cookie?" She held out one and gave him a small smile.

Soujiro reached out to take it, and felt something strange for a second. It lasted only for a moment, but it left Soujiro feeling unsettled. He ignored it, and glanced at the cookie. It was pretty crude looking; a plain circle. Soujiro hesitated, but he didn't want to disappoint Kadori. He tentatively took a small bite, and chewed.

Kadori watched him slowly chew it. She knew that her cookies looked yucky on the outside, but when she had first tried them, the taste was excellent. Her smile grew as Soujiro's eyes widened and he quickly wolfed down the rest of it. Kadori wordlessly held out another.

"You know…" Kadori said 5 cookies later, "I think you really never have had cookies after all."

Soujiro, who had just finished, replied, "They're so good! I really haven't had any. Did you really make them yourself?" Soujiro loved the taste. It was much better than the food his 'family' gave him. 

She beamed. "Of course I did. So you really liked them? I can bring some more over tomorrow night."

For a moment Soujiro forgot about the cookies and fully digested Kadori's sentence. She was still coming? She was still coming! "Uh………that would be…really nice………"

Kadori didn't notice his surprise. "Okay then. I better get going. See you tomorrow. Oh, and you can have the rest of the cookies." She stood up and put the bag next to him.

Soujiro stood up. "Are you sure? I mean, you didn't eat any." Once again, Kadori had surprised him.

"It's okay. I can always make more." She suddenly looked sad again. "And… you might need them more than I do." Soujiro understood what she meant. Kadori was smarter than she looked. She understood that he didn't get well fed either.

"Well, bye Soujiro." Kadori smiled at him one last time, and (quietly) walked out of the rice storage shed. Soujiro's arm went up, as if to stop her from leaving, but he let it fall back to his side. Instead Soujiro picked up the bag of cookies.

"Kadori." He smiled broadly.

Thanks to:

bob you know who: well okay thanks for reviewing Rachel, lol it STILL counts!!!!!!!

silvrneko: of COURSE she's gonna end up a love interest. But that's not until later………

okay, please leave a contribution in the review box on your way out! Thanx and have a nice day ^.^

silent H


	3. Tragedy

Hey everyone, thank you for reviewing! I'm real sorry I didn't update this sooner, but I was really busy with this English thing we had to do, and I had my other extremely-long fic that I was working on. But thank you to all that reviewed (Chibi-chan, Ann, Sojiro-lover, bob you know who, and kibou eien)!!!!! Disclaimer: Please note the URL of this site. Thank you. Part I: The Past 

Chapter 3: Tragedy 

Soujiro sat outside, under a brittle dying tree. Somewhere, a bird called. He whistled in return. After a moment, he heard Kadori fall, as usual, off of the wall. Soujiro watched with a smile as she dusted herself off and ran over to him.

Kadori smiled in return. "So what is it today?"

"Cleaning up the yard and a few more barrels to move." Soujiro was relieved. Before Kadori came, he always made sure that any signs of the day's beatings were gone. He learned quickly after the first few days when Kadori would start crying whenever she saw the bruises and the blood. And then she'd get punished for ripping off a kimono sleeve. At least today she wasn't crying.

She said, "Is that it? You family can be pretty boring when it comes to thinking up chores." Kadori gave a small laugh. She watched Soujiro closely. After a few moments, she sighed. Every night, Kadori tried to make him laugh. And every night, Soujiro would only smile. She still didn't get how he could smile all the time, and then not laugh. 

Kadori thought back to when she'd discovered the truth about Soujiro's life. _'Maybe…maybe…Soujiro really isn't happy all of the time.' _

Inside the rice shed, Shishio waited for the two children to come. Every night, it seemed, Soujiro and that girl, Kadori, would do his chores and then come inside and talk. He was a little annoyed, because he saw potential in this boy to become a good fighter. But the little girl was messing him up.

About thirty minutes later, the door opened and Soujiro and Kadori came in. "I brought my new kind of cookie," she was saying, "and I haven't tried it yet. So if it's awful, don't blame me."

Shishio sighed. And that girl had a really off sense of humor.

They chewed in silence. Soujiro said, "I think, that these are just as good as the last ones. But they're kind of salty."

"Oh well," Kadori said, "At least it's a change from sweet."

The two of them ate for a bit longer. Silence was comfortable between them. Kadori had had something on her mind for a bit. She wasn't exactly sure how to voice her thoughts. "Soujiro…"

"Yes?" Soujiro said pleasantly. Kadori usually had something interesting to say, or to ask.

"Don't you think………that because of how you're treated…that maybe you should just…you know…run away?"

Now that was interesting. Soujiro tried to think of how to answer. He had contemplated this a few times, but… "I think that…running away wouldn't help anything. I won't have anywhere to go."

Kadori jumped up. "But you could come stay with me!"

"No…because they would be able to find me. If I did run away, I'd have to go really far from here. And I don't know where I'd go. And………if I stayed with you… they might………to you…and…" Soujiro couldn't get it out, but he saw Kadori's look of understanding, and was grateful for it.

"I understand." She fell silent for a moment, and then said, "It also has to do with what you told me the other night, doesn't it? In the end, only the fittest survive in this world…"

Soujiro said quietly, "If you're strong you live. If you're weak…"

Kadori whispered, "Running away would be weak, wouldn't it Soujiro?"

He looked at Kadori. Soujiro really wasn't sure. He wasn't sure about a lot of things anymore.

In the shadows, Shishio, who was listening as usual, replayed Soujiro's words in his head. 'Running away,' he thought, 'Ah…I think I've got you.' He listened as Kadori spoke up again.

"But Soujiro…you already are strong. To me…you're strong."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro stood looking at the closed door. Kadori had left. He heard Mr. Shishio say behind him, "Do you really think that you're strong enough?"

He turned around to see Mr. Shishio sitting on a barrel behind him. "She thinks I am…" Soujiro said hesitantly.

"But is it enough? Even after the beatings and the chores, is one friend enough? At the end of the day, the strong are the ones who live."

Soujiro stood in thought for a while. When he was with Kadori…Soujiro felt comfortable, unafraid, and he felt himself really smiling. He hadn't had that since… well, forever. But still, during the day…the pain………Soujiro didn't have the comfort of Kadori's voice, or her cookies. 

He jumped as Mr. Shishio held out something. It was a wakizashi. "I'm giving you this wakizashi," he said, "It'll be my payment for staying here."

Soujiro stared at it. A sword…

Shishio watched him slowly reach out and take it. His eyes narrowed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night, Kadori wasn't coming. Her parents were holding a dinner party and she had to stay and smile at guests. _"It'll be really boring,"_ her voice echoed in his head, _"I wish I could stay with you."_

But at the moment, something else was on his mind. The wakizashi. Soujiro had hidden it under the house, where there was a lot of empty space that no one touched. Mr. Shishio's voice had been in his head (along with Kadori's) lately. The strong and the weak…

"I'm sure," Soujiro said to himself, "That if a sword were used to kill me, it'd probably be painful. The sharpness of the blade… and after all, I know pretty well how much it hurts to get hit." He touched a bruise on his cheek. "So………I think I better go and return that sword." Soujiro stood up and looked at the sky. "I'm just not as strong as Mr. Shishio. Kadori may think I'm strong, but…it's still not enough. But I'll be able to get by."

Soujiro moved towards the house to get the sword, but something stopped him.

"Soujiro! Soujiro!"

He turned around. "I wonder what could be going on so late at night? What would they want?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro gave a small gasp at the reception waiting for him. Sticks and shovels. And something in their faces…

"So…Soujiro! Why you---how dare you try to make me look like a fool!"

Soujiro cried out in pain as a shovel came right at him. He fell to the ground and the scent of blood rose to the air.

"Soujiro! I can't believe you'd do something that goes against the will of the government! You little pig! Do you wanna ruin our business?"

"Out with it, where's the rebel?"

He panted on the ground. The throbbing in his head…

"I've had it up to here with you!" One of the brothers held up a sword…and slowly unsheathed it.

The glint of the sword caught Soujiro's eyes. "Ah…" he gasped, trying to push himself up.

One of the sisters said, "Hey wait a minute. As much as I'd like to see it, won't it look sort of bad?"

"Don't worry. There's a dangerous criminal hanging around, remember? I don't see anything wrong as long as we tell the police."

"Hmm…that's right. And we'll probably be handsomely rewarded for giving them information."

His 'stepfather' yelled, "I won't let you ruin my business!"

"After all we've done for you, Soujiro!"

"Go ahead, do him in brother."

"You got it."

The blood pounded in Soujiro's ears as he slowly sat up. Their faces………

"I won't let you ruin my business!"

_In the end…_

"There's a dangerous criminal hanging around, remember?"

_Only the fittest survive in this world_

"We'll probably be handsomely rewarded…"

_If you're strong you live…_

"After all we've done for you, Soujiro!"

_If you're weak…_

The lightning crashed. Something clicked. Soujiro screamed and started to run. _'They're going to kill me!'_

He ran under the house, to where the wakizashi was hidden. Soujiro heard his heart beating. "They're going to kill me!" he whispered frantically, "Mr. Shishio! Kadori! Somebody help me!" Soujiro hugged the sword to his body. It was still sheathed safely.

His ears pricked up as Soujiro heard a noise. It was his brother.

"There you are. I never would have expected you to hide down here."

Soujiro looked at his face. _'No! Get away!'_ he thought.

"Where'd you get that nice looking wakizashi? Was it in the rice shed? Let's have a look."

Soujiro felt the air trying to strangle him. He looked on as his 'brother' slowly took hold of the sword. Ever so slowly…it slid out of its sheath. Soujiro stared at it with wide eyes. 

_In the end, only the fittest survive in this world. _

It was so sleek…so sharp…

If you're strong you live… if you're weak… 

A scream came from under the house. "What a pathetic scream." "Well what would you expect from that little swine?"

_Thump_. "Is that him?" they asked, excited. A flash of lighting was all it took for them to cry out.

Soujiro climbed out from under the house. _'I just killed someone.'_ Soujiro couldn't think straight. The blood glittered brightly on the sharp cold blade.

"You're gonna pay!"

Crash 

"I'll get you for this!"

In the end 

"To me…you're strong."

Lighting

"I've had it up to here with you!"

They're going to kill me

"I think…you're…wonderful."

Only the fittest survive in this world 

"I'm giving you this wakizashi."

Them or me

If you're strong you live 

"Soujiro broke another barrel!"

Rain on blood

"Do you want a cookie?"

_If you're weak you die._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The rain fell down on the bodies. Soujiro stood in the center. There was no sound but the rain.

_Empty inside._

"Are you…smiling?"

I can't tell. It's the rain. Am I smiling? Or am I……… 

"No sir."

………

"Would you like to come with me?"

"…Sure…"

………

"Hey…um… Mr. Shishio?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could become stronger?"

"Indeed Soujiro. You _can_ become stronger. Second, only to me."

………

………

"There's something I have to do first."

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@

ok, I know that that was short, but I want what happens next to have its own chapter (it's so kawaii!!!). I'll try to get it up asap.

Please drop in a review, and I'll love ya forever!

silent H  :D


	4. Saying Goodbye

Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed!!!!! I hope you all like this chapter (it's short, I know) but I think it's really kawaii ::squeals::

Thanks to: 

bob you know who- hahaha, we'll just tell her to switch our seats back again, lol.

kibou eien/bootleg- you changed your name AGAIN! ty for the review ^.^

mya-thank you! I can't wait till they're older too…

So on to the fic!

disclaimer: should I even bother?

Part I: The Past

Chapter 4: Saying Goodbye

Kadori sat inside, eating dinner. Her parents were entertaining guests tonight, and she wished she could go and visit Soujiro. She walked to one of the panels in the wall that were propped open. This one gave you a view of the backyard. Kadori sighed, and stared blankly outside. 'I'm so bored…' she thought.

Kadori heard a whistle. And then she saw someone dart by. 

"Soujiro."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Kadori quietly opened the door, stepped outside with an umbrella, and closed it. "Soujiro? Soujiro?" she called. She spotted someone standing under a tree. Kadori ran towards the figure. As she approached, she saw Soujiro's beat up figure. Tears threatened in her eyes as usual. 'Don't cry,' she told herself, 'be strong like Soujiro.' Kadori tried to grin, but she ended up choking out, "Soujiro! What happened?"

Soujiro, smiling, watched as she ran to him and placed the umbrella on the ground. "Well…" he started, but Kadori was already talking.

"What did they do to you this time?" she said, some tears trickling out as she ripped off a bit of her sleeve. She dipped it in a puddle of water. "Something terrible must have happened!" Kadori dabbed at Soujiro's face.

Soujiro smiled. "Y-you could say that. Something bad _did_ happen." Kadori stared at him, slightly mystified. He seemed…different.

"But you're still smiling," she said softly. Kadori tied the piece of cloth around Soujiro's arm where he was bleeding. "You're still smiling."

There was a silence where Kadori kept her tears in and tried to smile like Soujiro. He still stood there, with a smile on his face, but his eyes were open; gazing emotionlessly at Kadori. But the more he looked at her, trying to smile like he was, the less emotionless he felt. Soujiro found himself talking.

"Kadori…no matter how strong you think I am…it's still not enough. Remember what I told you? In the end, only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live…"

She whispered, "If you're weak………you die."

Soujiro suddenly felt his smile slipping. "I'm going to get stronger. You'll see. But I have to………to…go away." His grip tightened on the wakizashi. Soujiro undid his belt, took out a rope and tied it around his waist instead.

Tears slipped down Kadori's face. "But Soujiro…"

Soujiro interrupted. "But I want you to get strong too. You _have_ to become stronger Kadori."

Kadori nodded. "I'll be strong like you too Soujiro." She looked at his sword. 'With swords.' Kadori thought.

Soujiro held out the piece of cloth that was his belt. "Here. It's just my belt, but………it's just……… to remember me. I'll come back when I'm stronger. You're… my only friend." 

She took it, and beamed through the tears. "Okay. We're best friends, so you _have_ to return." Kadori clutched the cloth in her hands. She told herself to smile.

Soujiro said, "Goodbye Kadori."

Kadori picked up the umbrella and whispered, "Goodbye, Soujiro."

As Soujiro turned away, more tears slid down her face. Shishio, who was watching from behind the wall thought, 'Well that's over.'

Soujiro kept walking, clutching his sword tight. Slowly, the smile returned. 'I'll come back. Once I'm strong like Mr. Shishio.'

Kadori watched him go. 'My only friend…'she thought. Suddenly Kadori ran forward, dropping the umbrella. She didn't care about rain. "Soujiro!" she yelled, "Wait! Soujiro!"

_As my tears keep overflowing,_

_I can't see your last smile through the blur._

_Don't go! Don't go! Stay with me._

_Light breaks through the sky._

Soujiro stopped and turned around. "Kadori?" She ran up to him, and stopped to pant slightly.

Shishio looked at the two young people standing in the rain. 'What's she going to do now?' he thought. His eyes narrowed.

Kadori looked at Soujiro. "I………I…wanted to give you something. So you'll remember me too." 

Soujiro looked at her empty hands with a puzzled smile. "What is it?" Kadori stood for a moment, silent. She seemed to be hesitating. The rain fell down on their heads.

Soujiro's smile faded as Kadori stepped closer. She raised herself on tiptoe, closing her eyes. Soujiro's eyes widened and Kadori very softly brushed her lips against his. And as just quickly as it happened, Kadori had stepped back and hid her face beneath her bangs. Soujiro's eyes were big as he stared at her and he felt his face get warm, in spite of the cold rain. Soujiro lightly touched his lips, in shock.

_I'm so insignificant but_

_I loved you with all my soul, more than anyone._

_Thank you for all of the precious feelings_

_That you gave to me._

Soujiro stared at her for a while, and then said quietly, "Goodbye, Kadori." He turned around and walked slowly away.

Kadori looked up at him. "Goodbye," she said.

She watched him depart silently and went to pick up the umbrella by the tree. As she went to the door, she looked back at Soujiro's faint figure. Kadori waited until he disappeared into the misty rain. Then she went inside. And she wasn't crying.

_"At that time, I just watched for ages as the vapor trail vanished."_

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Shishio looked at Soujiro out of the corner of his eye. They were walking silently, and the rain had turned into fine mist by now. Soujiro's eyes were covered by his bangs, but Shishio saw that he was still lightly touching his lips and blushing. And Shishio was willing to bet that his eyes were still wide, as well.

'That girl…' Shishio thought, 'If he thinks of her too much…Soujiro may not become the strongest he could possibly be. Soujiro may be able to bottle up his emotions, but with her in his mind they can still come back. I'll make sure that he will forget her.' And that's just what Shishio was going to do.

_- - - - - - - - - - - - -_

_Don't forget…you're not alone. _

_Even if we part, our hands are still linked._

_It was my first love, when I first _

_Learned of a sadness like this._

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

For ten years, Soujiro was with Shishio. During his training, Soujiro became his right hand man. 

But Shishio didn't forget Soujiro's goodbye to the little girl. During Soujiro's education, Shishio would use subtle manipulation to slowly make Soujiro forget all about Kadori's kindness.

Soujiro's emotions were buried deep in his heart, as were his memories of his childhood. All of the training, moves, and knowledge he gained pushed out any thought or memory connected to Kadori and his past. But Shishio still made sure that any memory of Kadori wouldn't return. Something like that could break him.

And Soujiro became the cold blooded, ever smiling assassin. 

_Even if something fades away,_

_Something will live again._

_The smile you gave as we parted_

_Was your message for me to triumph._

But a certain fight with a red-haired rurouni was going to change everything.__

_Someday surely we'll meet again and be together._

_No matter how far, we'll stare into each other's eyes_

_Bet all our hopes and dreams._

_Lets promise each other_

_That we'll hold on to the intensity_

Of that day 

And live in the future that blooms in tomorrow.

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@

Namida ga ato kara afure dashite  
Saigo no egao ga nijin de mienai no  
Ikanai de, ikanai de, koko ni itta  
Sora e ... hikari kake nukete yuku  
  
Konna ni chisai na watashi dakedo  
Anata wo dare yori sei-ippai aishita  
Arigatou wo ikutsu mono taisetsu na kimochi  
Te watashite kure tai yo ne  
  
Sono toki zutto, watashi wa kiekaketa hikooki kumo wo mite ita...  
  
Wasurenai de   
Hitori janai  
Hanare demo te wo tsunai de iru  
Hajime demo koi hajimete shita  
Konna kanashimi ga aru koto  
  
Nanika ga shoometsu soshite nanika ga futatabi yadotte  
Wakare ni kureta hohoemi wa tsuyoku iki you to iu anata kara no messeeji  
  
Itsuka kitto aeru   
Futari naraba  
Tooku demo hitomi mitsume au  
Kibou to yume no subete o kakete  
Yakusoku shouyo  
Ano hi no hageshisa o daite  
Ashita saku mirai o ikiru

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@

ok, that song I put in between the text was Yubiwa, from Escaflowne: The Movie (I really liked it). I got it in english from the subtitles…don't ask. And the song below it are the original Japanese lyrics. I just thought it fit…

I'm excited! Next chapter will begin part II…when they're older! Yay! Excitedness…

Note: Soujiro really doesn't remember Kadori. At all. So when he does fight with Kenshin, even though he will remember his childhood, Kadori won't come up in it. It'll be like big blanks in Soujiro's memory. This is for my plot…PLEASE ignore it, lol! And Shishio didn't think that memories could be rekindled by smell or sounds…and also he didn't think that Soujiro would leave. So let's see what happens.

Ja ne!

silent H


	5. Ten Years Later

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reviewing. I've finally updated…so I won't keep you waiting. On with the fic! (oh, and btw, this is the second part…everyone's grown up! Yay! Ok. It's ten years later…if you couldn't tell ^^)

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I got this idea from something I've seen…can't remember it though. Ah well. I don't own it, whatever it was.

Part II: The Present

Chapter 1: Ten Years Later

_How can you see into my eyes like open doors_

_Leading you down into my core_

_Where I've become so numb _

_Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold _

_Until you find it there and lead it back home_

_Now that I know what I'm without_

_You can't just leave me_

_Breathe into me and make me real_

_Bring me to life_

_Frozen inside without your touch without your love darling _

_Only you are the life among the dead_

_All this time I can't believe I couldn't see_

_Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me_

_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems_

_Got to open my eyes to everything_

_Without a thought without a voice without a soul_

_Don't let me die here_

There must be something more 

_Bring me to life_

_I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside_

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The light glinted off of half of a sword embedded in the floor.

"Are you all right, Kenshin?"

"How is Soujiro?" 

Sano nodded over to the other side. Soujiro lay with his head on Miss Yumi's lap. One hand half grasped the end of his sword, the other was on his forehead.

"So it turned out that our rematch ended up the opposite of our match in Shingetsu Village. To think that someone could improve so much in such little time… while keeping his vow not to kill the whole while…it's a little unfair. But it's true, Miss Yumi." Soujiro said quietly.

"Kiddo…you're…"

He continued, "When you're trying to rebuild a brick building that was made the wrong way the first time…you have to tear the whole thing down before you begin…it can't be done any other way, because brick is too strong to change. So I was wrong, all of these years. But now I have my answer. Mr. Himura…you were the one that was right all along. I see that now." Soujiro slowly sat up.

Kenshin shook his head, panting slightly. "No. That's not it at all. Shishio's logic says that the winner of a battle, the strong, is always right. But if he were true then we could all go through one or two battles, and never be wrong. You have to find the true answer from how you live your life from now and onwards."

Soujiro stared at Kenshin for a moment, and smiled. "Like exactly how you did…all of these years."

Kenshin nodded silently. Soujiro sighed, and fell back on Miss Yumi's lap. "You're a demanding man, you know that, Mr. Himura? Really, you're not giving me a straight answer," he said with a small laugh, "Mr. Shishio was never this demanding."

Kenshin smiled. "Soujiro."

After a few moments Soujiro said, "You don't need Miss Yumi anymore. Mr. Shishio's room is just down the hall."

He nodded, and him and Sano turned to leave. Just before they left Kenshin said softly, "Did no one really care for you, Soujiro?"

Soujiro was silent on Miss Yumi's lap. A minute or so later she asked, "You okay, kiddo? I should be going to Lord Shishio now if I want to catch up."

He replied, "You don't have to hurry. Just behind that door is a secret passage to Mr. Shishio's room. It's the quickest way there. But before you go…I want to tell you the secret of the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki so you can tell Mr. Shishio." He stood up.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Miss Yumi's eyes widened. "The truth behind the Battousai's final attack?"

"Yes, I saw it in an instant. It was--"

"His left foot?"

"Yes. Usually you're supposed to step with your right foot in the battou-jutsu, so you don't cut yourself. But Mr. Himura took a step with his left foot. He changed the timing with that step very slightly, so as not to lose momentum, and it added more acceleration and power to the attack, changing his godlike speed to beyond godlike speed. The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki." Soujiro explained.

"Just one step?" She said disbelievingly.

"Mhmmm…but it's a very hard one to take. It's a step taken on the edge of life and death. You can't take it without hesitation, or it would never work. So if Mr. Shishio keeps his eye on Mr. Himura's foot, and not his arm or his eyes, then he'll know when the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki will be used."

Miss Yumi stood up. "Then let's go and tell him!"

Soujiro shook his head. "No…there's one more favor I have to ask you." Soujiro walked to a cabinet by the wall. As he opened the drawer, his hands shook slightly. Soujiro took out what was inside.

"It's…"

"The wakizashi Mr. Shishio gave to me a long time ago. For the past ten years, it's been one of my greatest treasures. I would like you to return it to him for me." Soujiro leaned against the wall.

"Then…does this mean that…"

There was a small silence.

Soujiro continued softly, "Back then, what saved me from the brink of death was this wakizashi, and Mr. Shishio. That will always be true. But in spite of that, I really believe that now I have to go and find the true answers for myself, like Mr. Himura said. So that's why…" Soujiro's voice began to quiver slightly. "I'm going to move on now. This………is where we part."

Soujiro felt something that he hadn't for a long time. The threat of tears.

Miss Yumi looked at him for a moment, and then said, "I see. Maybe the best thing is for you to get away from all of this, kiddo."

Soujiro gave her a small smile. Then he turned away. "You'd better get going. Take care of Mr. Shishio."

"What's that?" Miss Yumi said, turning around, "It doesn't matter whether I take care of him or not. Lord Shishio's invincible."

Soujiro said, "That's not what I meant."

Miss Yumi smiled. "I understand. Take care of yourself, Soujiro." And with that she was gone, beyond the door.

With Miss Yumi gone, a single tear coursed down his cheek. Soujiro gazed off into space with an absent smile. He thought of that night, when he stood in the rain, smiling among his family's corpses.

_"Are you…crying?"_

_"No sir."_

But the truth was…

_He had been crying_.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

About a month or so later, Soujiro was sitting by a stream. He had left after the fight with Mr. Himura, and wandered around. But then he caught word…Lord Shishio was dead.

Soujiro wasn't sure why he wasn't crying. Shishio had been the closest thing to a father that he ever had. And Miss Yumi, too. He'd taught him his first truth, even if it had ended up being wrong.

He sighed and absently threw a rock into the stream's flowing waters. Soujiro was still smiling. He found that the answers weren't coming that easily. Soujiro wondered how Mr. Himura could have stood the long years it took him to discover his own truths. 'I don't think I can wait that long,' he thought, 'but then again, if all of my emotions come back at once…' Soujiro thought of his breakdown back during the fight with the battousai. 'Then maybe it's better if they take their time.'

Soujiro lay down for a bit with his eyes closed. Because he wasn't that used to other people besides Mr. Shishio and Miss Yumi, Soujiro decided to spend some time alone in the wild for a while. He wasn't sure how long that would take, but Soujiro didn't want to start throwing fits in the middle of the street. Of course, not all of his emotions could come back like that…still, Soujiro didn't want to have to deal with people at the moment.

There was something else on his mind. It had been bothering him since the fight. In particular, since his past came back. Soujiro remembered wearing his belt before…the incident…but he remembered wearing a piece of rope afterwards.

"Ah well…" Soujiro said out loud, "I guess it doesn't matter. Maybe I'll remember later."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Five months later… 

"Are you ready now, Miss Yuroshima?"

"Pretty much."

"Excellent! Let's begin."

In the room, the two began to fight hard. The first was a man, about middle aged, with some gray hair sprinkled among his long black hair. 

The latter was a young woman, looking about 18 or 19. Her long light brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and her violet eyes shined in excitement, even if she wasn't fighting as well as her opponent. Both were using bokkens. 

Outside, some children dressed in training clothes were watching through slits between the doors excitedly. The two inside could hear them chatter but ignored it.

"Wow, Miss Yuroshima is really good!"

"Move over! I can't see them."

"Yeah, she's almost got Masoru-sensei beaten!"

"No way! A girl couldn't beat Masoru-sensei. He's way better than her!"

"Well yeah…but still, she's practically the best girl fighter in Kenotsu."

"That's because she's the ONLY girl fighter in Kenotsu." 

The two continued to fight, blocking and attacking. The man looked at the crowd of kids and said in between doges, "Miss Yuroshima…I think…you're…running late."

She gasped and stopped, dropping her bokken. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and said, "Damn! Gomen nosai, Masoru-san, I forgot. Arigato!" she called, opening the door. 

He smiled pleasantly and called, "You better hurry or you'll be late again." Masoru chuckled.

"Oh my gosh!" she muttered, catching sight of the crowd of children. They poured inside and began greeting their teacher. Some of them bowed to her, which only made her more embarrassed. "Arigato, but I'm in a hurry!"

She ran outside and into the large building next door. The sign on top said 'The Katsuro Inn'. As she burst through the door someone yelled, "About time, Kadori! Naruhito and I have had to hold the fort while you were gone, and some of the customers at the restaurant wanted to speak to you!" A girl who was around seventeen stomped her foot, her green eyes flashing with annoyance.

Kadori sighed. "I'm sorry Misako, but I ran late with Masoru-san again. Who wants to see me?" she asked, running down a corridor with Misako alongside.

Misako tucked her shoulder length black hair behind her ear and said, "Two men. Something about your cookies, I think." She held up a cream colored kimono that matched her own for Kadori to change into. Kadori huffed into it while Misako tied her hair up in a higher ponytail.

"Did you use it, Misako?" she asked.

The other girl groaned. "Of course I did, Kadori. Otherwise I think you'd kill me." Misako took the worn looking ribbon of cloth from Kadori's former ponytail and retied it. "Okay, you're finished. There aren't any people at the front, so I'll take you to the men."

Kadori smoothed out her kimono. "Where's Naruhito?"

"He's in the kitchen. Said he was checking up but he's probably just eating." Misako rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. Kadori knew better. Misako had had a crush on Naruhito since she could remember.

They speed walked to the restaurant portion of the inn, where two men were sitting at a table yelling, "Where's the owner of this inn? We need to speak to him!"

As Misako brought Kadori up they stopped yelling and said to her, "We said we wanted the owner! Not another g--" The two men paused as they looked at Kadori. "Well this isn't so bad," one of them said, grinning.

The other man said, "Get us another pretty girl and _then_ can you get us the manager?"

Misako frowned. "Kadori _is_ the manager!"

The first man laughed, "Yeah right, not that little girl."

Kadori gave a weak chuckle and said, "Well, I'm not really the owner, we're joint managers. But I_ am_ nineteen years old, for your information."

Misako retorted, "But you're going to get the whole inn once you're twenty-one! That's what it said in the will."

"Look," the first man said, "we just want to ask you about those cookies."

Kadori stiffened. "What do you want?"

"Could you tell us the recipe? And then maybe…come with me to dinner?" He smiled at her.

The second man said, "Hey! Don't go with him, go with me!"

As Kadori opened her mouth, Misako intervened and yelled, "One, Kadori's cookie recipe is _not_ to be given out and Two, she wouldn't go to dinner with any of you!" Her eyes got all sparkly. "Kadori already has a special someone!"

Kadori groaned, "Misako! They're total strangers! Do you have to do this _every_ time some guy--"

The two men chorused, confused, "What? Is she married or something?"

Kadori muttered, "I'm going to check on the rooms." She left, grumbling.

Misako clucked her tongue and thought, 'Poor thing. She's in such denial.' To the men she said, "Of course not! Someone has already stolen her heart, that's all." Misako crossed her arms and 'hmphed'.

"Who is it?"

Misako grinned. "Someone from her childhood…"

"Well that's very nice…can we just have the bill now?"

Misako frowned and muttered something about 'not appreciating love' as she left to go to the counter.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Kadori swept the floor in one of the rooms. _'Kadori already has a special someone…'_

Misako peeked her head inside. "Hey Kadori…you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. But do you have to do that every time some guy asks me to dinner?" Kadori frowned at her friend.

"Well…your story is just so kawaii!" Misako squealed.

Kadori groaned again. "Look, Misako…I don't………it's not that…I mean I'm not……we were only…" Kadori trailed off. She stopped sweeping and sat down on one of the beds. She absently fingered the edge of her sleeve.

_When a certain young boy left around eight years ago, a little girl named Kadori Yuroshima asked her parents for fighting lessons. Her parents told her that lessons like that weren't for rich little girls, but she persisted until they gave in._

_When Kadori was twelve, her mother died from a very bad case of pneumonia. And though she protested, her father moved them away to a different town called Kenotsu. Kadori continued to learn how to fight with swords, though she never used real blades. The man who owned the school she learned at was Masoru Takao._

Misako said to Kadori, "You've become practically the best girl fighter in Kenotsu. That's what Masoru-san said."

Kadori blushed. "But I'm practically the only one…"

Misako grinned and her eyes got all starry again. "It's all because of what he told you so long ago."

Kadori fell silent.

_Kadori's father decided that she should get a job; too, so she signed up for a job at the inn/restaurant next door to the school she learned to fight in. It was called the Katsuro Inn, and it belonged to an old couple by the name of Katsuro._

Kadori met a young girl about her age working there whose name was Katsuro Misako, the granddaughter of the owners and they became fast friends. Another boy who worked there was Sato Naruhito, and the three of them became their own little group. As they grew, Misako's grandfather passed away and soon her grandmother would've passed away as well.

"Oh and Kadori," Misako said as they went downstairs to the lobby, "You really are going to inherit the inn, you know. You still haven't gotten used to the fact yet!"

"Are you sure you don't want it? Your grandmother said we could decide who could own it once we were of age. And the joint ownership is going well right now."

"You know that I'm not as level headed as you are. With all of the hassles I'd just die. And Naruhito says he won't mind as long as you don't fire him. He just _has_ to do his cooking."

The two girls giggled.

When Kadori was sixteen, her father passed away as well, but she had enough money to buy a small house closer to the school where she trained and the inn. She made enough money for herself taking care of things at the Katsuro Inn.

"Hey Kadori," Misako said, "Are you sure you don't want to live here in the inn with us? You _are_ going to own it."

"I'm pretty sure Misako. I just don't feel right living in an inn." Kadori smiled.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Soujiro stood on a hill, overlooking what seemed like a pretty busy village. He'd heard from other travelers that it was called Kenotsu. 

He had decided to go back into society for a bit. Soujiro had actually felt a little lonely in the woods. And he was looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed and not having to catch and cook his own meals. Since Soujiro had been in the wild at first, he still had all of his money. Soujiro still wasn't sure about a lot of things, most of all about finding some answers. And that memory about the rope.

Soujiro gave a small sigh. He started down the hill towards Kenotsu. 

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@

As you can see, he doesn't remember anything about Kadori…but we'll see what happens in the next chapter. Will they meet up at last? Will Soujiro remember anything? Will Kadori ever get better at fighting? Why am I asking YOU this? I'm the one who knows the plot!

Thanks again to all of my reviewers! I love you guys! Please review ^^

Ja! silent H


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